Gemotions

From his booth at the greasy spoon diner, Mark watched the world go by through a haze of apathy. The clatter of plates, the chatter of strangers – they all felt muted, distant. He was stuck, a broken record repeating the same monotonous tune, just like his life. Then, a song began playing on the jukebox: his song, "Dust and Decay."

The singer had a powerful voice, but the soulfulness of the original was gone, replaced by a generic pop sheen. He winced. The joy he once felt in creating it had shriveled to nothing, and his song was now just another background noise, a commodity. He sighed, pushed back from the table, and walked out, seeking a place where he could finally feel something real again.